A Common Thread
by Me
Summary: What happens when rich Manhattan high schoolers Buffy and Jody work on an exchange program project with the Sweathogs? Chaos, of course, plus a fun story about baseball integrated from the start and the Brooklyn Dodgers staying as one result. "Family Affair" (1966)/"Welcome Back Kotter" crossover. See author notes for more.


A/N: See my "Family Affair"/"Barney Miller" crossover, "The Person Inside," for more discussion on Buffy's struggles with grief as a young teen, alluded to here, as a way was needed to explain the character in the realistic universe as separate from the actress' troubles.

Timeline puts Buffy & Jody in 1st grade starting in the '66-'67 school year, when they're 6. So, they're seniors in 1977-78. Kotter ended in '79, but it could have been the Sweathogs' senior year, with nothing taking place after April of that year, and Mary, Arnold's wife, having to move for the last 9 weeks. Yes, they're in 11th grade in the first season, but while it's doubtful (but barely possible) the whole series can fit into 2 school years, it could easily fit into 3. Just have them passing some classes and not others, so the next year they're in some senior ones, but they failed others (quite likely for the remedial students.) This lets Barbarino only have to take 1-2 courses the last year, or maybe just the last semester, and work, while the others are wrapping up their senior years. (Yes, Horshack was the brightest and tested out, so *should* have also been able to only take a class or two, but I think Cissy's explanation makes sense.)

So, it either starts in '76-'77 and they're in senior English by spring of '78, or it starts in '75, so the Sweathogs graduate in '78, and Barbarino has only this class to pass to graduate and is only rarely in Mr. Kotter's class (he was there a *bit* in season four, I think.) So while my crossover between Kotter and "barney Miller" has a '79 graduation, it could be either.

The book isn't totally like "If Baseball Integrated Early" in my profile; in fact their story only hints at one possible point of departure and just throws a guy in there without explaining how. But for those who love baseball or U.S. history. My books at (which include a few others, too) are quite fun.

A Common Thread

High school senior Jody Davis sighed. "What's wrong," his uncle Bill asked at the breakfast table.

"Twenty years since the Giants left Manhattan," he lamented, thinking of the place he'd called home since coming to live with his uncle – along with his two sisters – at age six. "I wish I could have seen a game at the Polo Grounds."

Bill nodded. "It was a fun place. I saw the Mets there when they came into the league. It was run down, but still nice. And, that football-style setup, with the outfield fenses 450 feet in the alleys and less than 300 down the lines; crazy." He passed Jody's twin sister, Buffy, the syrup for her pancakes. "So, what's this I hear about your English project? I got in late last night, but Mr. French told me it was something unique."

Their butler/valet, Mr. French concurred. "They have permission slips for you to sign," he said, hinting for them to pull them out.

"Oh, thanks, Mr. French,' Buffy said. Her long pony tail swished around as she quickly got up to fetch her English notebook. She brought her and Jody's slips back to the table and sat down again. "It's a program where remedial students team up with students in an upper class part of New York City. We can encourage them while at the same time learning about life in the projects. It's for advanced students like Jody and I."

Their older sister Cissy, now a psychologist, grinned broadly as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "It sounds like a wonderful, enriching experience."

Bill spoke as he read and then signed them. "It should be. A creative work like a story or play lets you share ideas and worldviews and experiences. Do you get to pick a school?

"Buffy and I chose Buchanan High, in Brooklyn," Jody said. He chuckled at the irony. "I've been thinking about the Giants with Opening Day weeks away, and we'll be going to the Dodgers' old home."

Bill smiled as he handed the permissions slips to each of the twins. "Well, that's a good start to building friendships with these kids; show you have something in common."

Meanwhile, Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington was with his fellow Sweathogs, Arnold Horshck, Juan Epstein, and Vinnie Barbarino, in front of their teacher Mr. Kotter's desk. "Hey, Mr. Kot-tare," Washington complained, "why do we have to do this project with rich kids?"

"Washington, look, I know it's going to be a different culture, but look at it this way. You're bound to graduate eventually."

"What, and leave all this? Where are we ever gonna find anything to match it?" Epstein asked.

Barbarino teased him. "Well, the city dump would match the smell of your gym locker."

"That's just what I mean. I've perfected that smell. Do you realize how long it's taken me to develop a stench that takes the whole city of New York to match?"

"Guys, look," Kotter said as he rose from his chair. "I thought this would be a great idea to help you expand your horizons. You don't have to just go back to the projects. Freddie, you're bright, you're interested in coaching, if you go to college for that you'll meet kids like the ones you're going to meet next Monday," Kotter said.

"What are their names?" Horshack asked.

"Let's see, I have it here." He looked at a paper. "Oh, yes, Buffy and Jody."

Epstein looked at his friends. "Hey, that's great; one of these guys likes to buff and wax cars."

"Hey; at least they got skills like us," Barbarino said.

"Come on, you guys. You have the chance to get out and live more productive lives than that. Vinnie, didn't you say you like to help people? You can not only be an orderly in a hospital, you can try to work your way up." He was glad Vice Principal, soon to be Principal. Woodman hadn't heard that; he'd have said there was never anything orderly bout a Sweathog.

"Look, man," Washington said, "I appreciate what you're doin'. And, I might be thinkin' about a future in teaching. But, not in front of them, okay?" he said very lowly.

Kotter sighed. "I understand." He supposed that he, too, had friends who were fellow Sweathogs when he was in school who didn't have the desire he did. "I guess I had friends who I didn't want to feel embarrassed, either," he replied in a near whisper before addressing the four of them in his normal voice. "The point is that each of you can learn something from these kids when they come. Sure, for them it's just a nice little project they can add on the tail end of their college applications, but for you, you should look at it as a reminder that you can strive to better yourselves. Don't think you have to be Sweathogs your whole lives."

Washington showed he was at least willing to hint about it to his friends. He put a hand on their home room, Civics, and History teacher and said, "Of course not. Who knows? Someday; we could be you."

Over a dozen Sweathogs gathered outside Mr. Kotter's classroom before the school day started the following Monday. Suddenly, Jody and Buffy walked toward them. "Be careful," Jody told his sister, "we don't know what we're up against."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Jody, will you stop being so protective. It can't be as bad as Mr. French said it could be on the limo ride over."

The Sweathogs heard Buffy call her brother "Jody," so as the twins chatted some more, the Buchanan students whistle at Buffy. "She can buff and wax my whole house," Epstein said.

"Why have her waxing the car when I can have her in the back of one?" Barbarino joked.

Washington was the first to walk up to Buffy and Jody. He used his deepest voice, looked her in the eye, and said, "Hi there."

"Hi, I'm Buffy and this is Jody. We volunteered to come here."

"Volunteered? Nobody comes here as a volunteer," Washington said. He took her hand in his, though Buffy quickly slapped it away. "Of course, now that you're here… hey."

Jody stood beside her just in case, but he could tell Buffy had the situation under control.

"I'll handle this," Barbarino, the Sweathogs' leader, promised. He walked up to her and began shuffling his feet and throwing his head back, making his hair sway.

"While he's doing that, here's my phone number, my favorite foods – though I'll eat anything, just make sure it's kosher – and a list of my favorite movies."

Barbarino completed his strut and began to sing. "I say Ba-ba-ba-ba-Barbarino."

As he sang his name louder each of two successive times, Buffy shook her head. "See, Jody, I told you I'd be safe. They're not dangerous; they're just weird."

"How did you like that?" Barbarino asked, his chest swelled with pride.

With an impish grin, Buffy inflated him a lot more before a massive deflation. "Your song and dance remind me of the type of children I want to teach someday." She studied his obviously very prideful grin for a moment and said, "I love working with little first graders."

Washington and Epstein guffawed while Horshack uttered his normal wheezing laugh as he clapped. Jody gave Buffy a high five.

"Come on, guys," Barbarino pleaded with them. "Look, I'm tryin' my best," Barbarino told Buffy with his hands outstretched. "What, you got someone back in Richville?"

"It's called Manhattan. And for your information, whether I 'have someone' is irrelevant."

"What's elephants got to do with anything?" Barbarino cracked.

"I came here to learn and do a project for your creative writing assignment with you," Buffy said briskly, purposefully ignoring his last query.

She'd spoke through the bell. Mr. Kotter stepped out of his door. "Hey, come on in." They did. "I see you've met our exchange students. Why don't you tell us a little about yourselves?"

Epstein interrupted Buffy. "Oh, we can pretty much guess at the important details."

"Yeah," Horshack began. "That's 24, 34… wait, 36… maybe it was 57-38."

"That was the score of our last basketball game, man," Washington chided him.

"Look, we'll settle it right now. Mr. Kotter, you got a tape measure?" Barbarino asked.

"No, I do not have a tape measure," Kotter said as he rose and walked over to the newcomers. "And for your information, I can't believe you would look at a fine student like Buffy here and only think of her body and not her brains."

"Hey, we can't help it; we ain't used to bein' around people with brains," Washington said.

Kotter insisted, 'It's time you guys learned. You'll be alumni of Buchanan High School before you know it, and you'll have to get used to knowing when you can have fun on your own and when you have to be serious." He saw Epstein was frantically scribbling. "That's good, Epstein, you're writing her a note of apology?"

"Not exactly," Epstein said as Kotter took the note.

"'Dear Buffy,'" Kotter read ad Juan mimicked him. "'Please excuse Juan from any actions which reflect on his hormones. He has abnormally high levels of macho. Signed, Epstein's mother'" As Kotter complained about Epstein's note, Buffy shook her head.

At lunch that day, Rosalie Totsy came up and introduced herself to Buffy and Jody. "I'm sorry they're like that. Thankfully unless you go out with them they're just all talk; and even then, they mostly spread rumors." She revealed how she got back at them for bragging. "I pretended to be pregnant by one of them, but didn't say which one."

"Did it work?"

She told Buffy it worked like a charm. "Arnold just had ice cream or something with me one afternoon, but he was even nice enough to offer to marry me so the baby would have a father." She smiled wistfully. "He's so sweet. He just started liking a girl named Mary; I hope something comes of it. He's just so… well, he doesn't come off like the others."

"I noticed in the classes we were in with them; we take advanced otherwise, but since we're doing the project with those four we're with them for the ones with Mr. Kotter and then their creative writing project, of course," Jody said.

""It's funny I made that crack about Barbarino when Horshack actually does seem as innocent as the kind I'd like to teach." Buffy told Rosalie she shouldn't worry. "There's some good that's come out of this – I am now convinced I don't want to teach above about age ten."

"It takes a special kind to do what Mr. Kotter does," Rosalie agreed.

Buffy said she also wanted to work with kids so she could get them off on the right path and develop a real love of learning in them, but Jody's mind was on dealing with the Sweathogs. "Don't worry, in English after lunch when they split us into our groups I'll be sure to take charge," Jody pledged.

That didn't work too well, though.

"By the way," the teacher was reminding Epstein as the students split into their groups. "I expect you to take part in this, and not do what you did for your last assignment."

"Yeah, yeah, all right," Epstein said as he sauntered back to join the others. When Jody asked what he'd done, he responded, "Instead of a ten-page essay, I tried to turn in a ten-page excuse note."

Buffy tried to put a positive spin on things. "From what we hear, that could have worked if you'd been assigned a fictional story to write."

"Yeah, but it was on that English guy who wrote about someone gettin' stabbed in the back. I said 'Big deal, happens all the time on our streets,'" Epstein complained.

Jody was stunned. "You mean Julius Caesar?"

Epstein nodded. "Yeah; I mean, it was kinda cool for a fictional character, but I didn't want to waste my time writing about him."

"Epstein, Julius Caesar, was one of the most famous Romans ever," Jody hissed. He shook his head and turned to Barbarino. "Okay, now you're the leader of this group; do you have any ideas on what to write?"

"What?"

"For our fictional work."

"Where?"

"Don't you get it? We are supposed to be working together on a project. Washington, you got the requirements for this project?"

Washington looked at Jody and spoke coolly. "Well, I don't happen to have them here handy."

"She just gave them to us; go back to your seat and get it." Jody fumed as Washington stomped over to his desk and retrieved the paper. "Now, Horshack, what can you contribute?"

Horshack spoke pensively, "I don't know. What charity are you raising money for?" He laughed lowly.

Jody rested his head on one hand and said, "This whole thing seems to be a charity event. Are Buffy and I going to have to do all the work?"

"Works for us," Epstein said as Washington sat back down with them.

"Well, it doesn't for me. This is a group project and I expect you to act like students," he said, pounding his fist on the table.

"Why? We ain't never done that before," Barbarino replied.

"Yeah, what are we gonna get out of it, anyway?" Washington asked. "The way you two were talkin', we got nothin' in common."

"Sure we do; we're teens in high school. We all have things we like and don't like," Buffy tried desperately to add. She hoped they wouldn't go back to their previous actions.

They did, however. "Yeah. We love pretty girls," Barbarino said as he gazed into her eyes.

"Besides that," Buffy said frostily.

Jody offered a suggestion. "Okay, maybe we could write a love story."

"I'm not working on a love story that has the main character gazing at the other person like some Dark Ages barbarian who can only talk about how pretty her eyes are," Buffy complained.

When the Sweathogs remarked that there were other parts of the body, too – lips, hands, hair - Jody threw his head back and shook it. "You're right; a love story will not go anywhere." His attempts to get the others to listen went nowhere for the rest of the class period.

Mr. Kotter met with the group for a few minutes after school. "Okay, now look," he began. "I know things got a little heated between you." He saw that Jody and Buffy didn't want to look at the Sweathogs, and vice versa. "Okay, a lot heated."

"Why don't you just let them get back in their limo and go back where the rich people live," Washington complained.

"Washington, they volunteered to come," Kotter reminded him.

"Yeah; and, I don't know why," Jody spewed.

"Okay, look. I'm sure things got off on the wrong foot this morning, so why don't we do it this way. Buffy, when you and Jody argue – and I'm sure you do, I can see my twins already eyeing the same rattle and looking ready to go to war – how do you resolve it?"

She looked thoughtfully at the teacher. "Well… it didn't happen often, but when it did, we'd he to say something nice to each other," Buffy reported.

"Okay. Now, besides looks, I want one of you guys to say something nice about Jody and Buffy."

While Mr. Kotter waited a few seconds for the Sweathogs to come up with something, Jody spoke up.

"Well, I guess I don't know quite how to say this," Jody said. He'd been reading about baseball before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, and the Negro Leagues, quite a bit lately, so this was on his mind. "So, I hope you understand how happy I am that we have integrated schools so you guys can learn together."

"Thanks, man," Washington said with a touch of emotion. He and Jody shook hands.

Kotter sat on his desk. "That's a good start. You know, I remember my great uncle Theodore."

"Oh, no, not another uncle story," Barbarino said.

"Cone on, give it a chance, Vinnie." Kotter went on. "He took me to Ebbets Field a few times when I was little, back when the Dodgers were here. He said, 'See all those players? You got Jackie, and Furillo, and Campanella, and Pee Wee, and the Duke, and all those others. They all make a team. This is the one place Brooklynites can come and forget all their cultural differences, because they have one thing in common."

"You loved the Dodgers?" Buffy asked.

"That and we couldn't stand the Sym-Phony band. You had to hear it to believe how bad they played. But, they were our mascot. And, back when the Dodgers were so bad they got three men on the same base once, they symbolized a lot of Brooklyn's own struggles."

"Come on, man, I know you're makin' stuff up now. Three men on the same base?" Washington said with a laugh.

Jody spoke before the teacher could. "No, it happened back in 1926. Rookie Babe Herman tried to stretch a double off the wall into a triple. The runner on first went to third base, while the pitcher, Dazzy Vance didn't run well, so he went from second around third but went back." The Sweathogs' mouths hung open as Jody continued. "He had to slide back in because it was part of a rundown. And Herman came sliding in from the other way 'cause he wasn't watching the play in front of him. So, he doubled into a double play." Jody said Herman made two other baserunning gaffes later in his career. "Twice in 1930, he stood to watch a home run the batter hit, and the batter passed him on the bases, which turned it into a single."

"Is that Herman guy still around? We oughta make him an honorary Sweathog," Epstein said.

Jody wasn't sure, but Mr. Kotter said the Hall of Fame would probably know.

"Cool; I've been there a couple times. I'll get you the address." They thanked Jody, who continued to speak. "I was wishing recently I'd been around to see the Polo Grounds. I'll bet that was really sad when the Dodgers left."

The teacher nodded slowly. "A lot of people were heartbroken."

"Maybe we could do a story where they're still here," Buffy suggested.

"How do we do that?" Barbarino asked.

"I know," Epstein said. "All we gotta do is have our character walk into Walter O'Malley's office in early 1956 with a lead pipe…"

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" Buffy asked firmly.

"Oh, oh oh," Horshack shouted as he raised his hand. "How about Professor Plum in the press box with the candlestick." He laughed at his allusion to the board game "Clue.

"Look, we're not going to just get rid of him like that. We can do this much more peacefully." Jody offered this alternative. "What if a different team moves out West?"

"Whose gonna join your Giants?" Washington asked.

Jody rubbed his chin. "That's a good point; our uncle Bill said attendance was really bad. They might have had to move to Minnesota anyway." He snapped his fingers. "I've got it. Early expansion. We can have the majors integrate early so there's more need for jobs."

"Sure, as long as we keep that Babe Herman fella in the majors; he seems like one of us," Barbarino said.

"We could even have Reggie Jackson hit those three home runs against Brooklyn in the World Series last year," Buffy said.

"Why do you want Brooklyn to lose?" Washington said.

Kotter looked at his watch and then meandered over to the door. "Well, we probably get some wins in the sixties. Maybe more in the fifties, early expansion might mean less Yankee dominance. Anyway, you guys probably have to go; I have to get home, too." He opened the door and the group started to pack up to leave. "Now that you have some idea of your universe, you can come up with plots and maybe get together by phone, and over the weekend."

"Hey, yeah; maybe we can get out of here. Your butler can teach us how to serve the really rich, like Daddy Warbucks," Horshack speculated.

"Yeah, we can figure out how to skim off our employers,' Epstein said.

Jody turned to Buffy as they left. "If we have them over, we need to remember to tell Mr. French to lock up the good china." She agreed.

Saturday morning, Mr. French was bidding Uncle Bill good day. "I'm sorry you will not be around to meet Jody and Buffy's colleagues on this project."

"Me, too, but you know how work is sometimes. You've done it solo before, and Cissy'll be here to help," Bill responded.

"Yes, but never before have we had to deal with such supposedly uncouth people," French said.

Meanwhile, Buffy and Cissy were talking at the kitchen table while Jody took paper and pens into the living room. "Why do you think they're like that?"

"Well, Buffy," Cissy said, "I think a lot of times kids like that just don't have good role models. If all they know is the streets, how will they ever realize things can be different? One thing my Psychology courses taught me was how crucial background is; especially early in life. Sure, the personality can be there for some people to overcome more than others, but it's pretty easy to see how people in their shoes struggle at times."

"Kind of like why I struggled so much with growing up for a while, because of what happened with our parents dying," Buffy said.

"Right. Your new friends at Buchanan know that about us now, that our parents died when you guys were little. I know they might not have cared so much about actual dignoses, but did they at least warm up to you when you told them about your struggles?"

Buffy mulled it over. She'd never tried to fill her emptiness with some of the things that tempted most teens. Instead, she kept acting and looking little, sneaking into pigtails and such. She didn't know if they could have identified if she'd gone into too much detail. "It's hard to say; I wasn't totally comfortable with a couple of them. Although, Washington's more forward thinking, at least; he put the class treasury in a savings account for one thing. And Rosalie was right about Horshack, what I told you about Monday night," Buffy analyzed. "I wonder why he's still there, in fact; I heard he could have transferred into regular courses."

"It's where he's comfortable. And, he might need some help once he graduates; but, he'll do okay, I think, as long as he has a support system. Some people just need more," Cissy said.

Buffy nodded; that made sense. She was so glad her sister had finally decided ona field of study. And, to think her preteen years had helped interest Cissy in Psychology. "Still, Washington gets caught up in thinking about the outside more and the other two…" She shook her head. "At least with younger grades they won't be hardened like some kids."

The doorbell rang as Cissy put an arm around Buffy. "Well, at least you have a chance to have some sort of impact working with these kids. I'll be around if you need help."

"Thanks." They hugged.

French opened the door as Epstein whistled. "Wow, what a place."

"Whom shall I say is calling?"

"I don't see someone using a telephone. Do you have a telephone?" Horshack asked Vinnie.

"I am inquiring as to your identification," French said.

Epstein was shocked. "Hey, I don't need to show you no ID; I ain't no illegal. I'm a Puerto Rican, right guys?" he asked the others defensively. They nodded.

"State the nature of your business," French required wearily.

"hey, can you believe this guy? He's as stiff as one of those guys that stands guard at Buckingham Palace," Washington proclaimed.

"I wish I had a stick; I always wanted to go up to one of those guys and poke him in the ribs to see what would happen," Barbarino said.

French sighed as the others entered. He realized he didn't have to ask. "never mind; I am certain now as to your identities. Masters Horshack, Barbarino, Epstein, and Washington to see you," he told Jody and Buffy, who was entering the living room.

"Hey, did you hear that; we're masters. I told you you don't hafta go to college to get one of them fancy degrees by your name," Barbarino told Washington.

Epstein said he already knew that. "I've been hearing I'm the master of the excuse note for as long as I can remember."

"Master is the proper title for any young gentleman," French explained.

"No wonder we've never heard it," Horshack said.

"Yeah," Epstein added, "we ain't used to being gentlemen."

Barbarino sat on a couch with his feet on the arm of a chair.

"Sir, remove your feet from that chair," French ordered.

"What?"

"Your feet, they should be on the floor."

"Where?"

French pointed down. "That floor, of course." He then mumbled, "Did he think the floor was on the ceiling?"

Jody picked Barbarino's feet up off the chair and moved them over to the floor. "There; that's the floor," he insisted.

"Now, we came up with some ideas for time travel," Buffy noted.

"That would explain your friend's manners, if the travel was from the Dark Ages," French said.

"Hey, my family went there once." Horshack paused for effect before delivering the punch line. "We couldn't pay the electric bill."

"I would be surprised if you can even pay attention… don't play with that," French said, grabbing an expensive vase from Epstein.

"Hey, what gives, I was just gonna hold it… well, when I wasn't tossing it in the air."

"Listen, these are nice thing around here," Buffy said impatiently.

"Yeah, we didn't think we'd have to have it childproofed again," Jody snapped.

Cissy had come out by this time. She introduced herself, and then spoke to the twins. . "Your friends don't understand what nice things are, let alone how to treat them, if they've never had any. Probably all the stuff you've ever had is hand-me-downs or from garage sales or – at the most – from inexpensive stores, right?" she asked the Sweathogs.

"Yeah, sometimes the stuff we get's already been used way too much," Washington said.

"Well, things are very different here," French informed them.

"Yeah, you're right; if we want to learn how to be butlers in big, fancy houses… wait a minute, guys, I just realized that might be a problem." Epstein said. "Every time there's a murder they always say the butler did it."

"I have heard that joke far too many times," French muttered wearily.

"Hey, I know we act like clowns sometimes, but your sister's right," Washington told the twins. "This is all new to us. Even if we come in contact with people outside the project, it's not like we go to their houses or anything."

Jody relented. "Yeah. I guess you're right. It's sort of like what your teacher was saying about Ebbets Field, huh? It's the one place where all the groups could come together and forget about their differences."

Buffy wanted to get on with the story. "If we don't want to do time travel, maybe we can have an early divergence. What would make baseball integrate early so it would be more like that sooner, so we can have the earlier expansion out West?"

"You tell us; you're the ones with the brains," Epstein replied.

"Wait, I got it; wasn't there a guy back in the 1800s who didn't want blacks in the game?" Washington asked.

"Yeah, Cap Anson," Jody said. He glared at Epstein. "And, no Mafia style hits on him, either."

"'Course not; all you gotta do is have Ty Cobb slide hard enough to tear up his knee," Barbarino offered.

"Come on, he played long after…" Jody stopped suddenly and looked at Barbarino. His comment has surprised him. "How did you know about Ty Cobb?"

"We hear about these guys sometimes. Plus, we did a little research; just in case. Especially 'cause we wanted to have some players from around when that Baby Herman fella played," Barbarino said.

"Yeah; I wanted to see if there was a way to have a guy running back from third. You could hve four men on the same base," Horshack noted.

"That does not seem possible," French observed. "Then again, until Master Jody explained it, I did not think three men on the same base was possible."

"A lot of crazy stuff can happen, I'm sure. Maybe you can have a guy as important to the league as Anson. But, your character wants to keep the game integrated. He'd have to start earlier, but it's doable," Cissy suggested.

"Sure, just have survive the Civil War," Buffy said. "Jody said there were a couple leagues for a while, maybe one's integrated and the other's not."

Washington was clearly deep in thought now. "Yeah, have Anson in one league and the other guy in the other; eventually the segregated league folds, and Anson has to accept it. I like it."

"Okay." Jody finished writing down the ideas. "We've got our universe set up; now what?"

"I asked my family for some stories about the Brooklyn Dodgers; one thing they said was, even if it was in the World Series, except for 1955, they always lost in the end," Barbarino offered.

"Ah, 1955; it proved fairy tales can come true,' Horshack said.

"Yeah, except you'd have a hard time playing baseball in glass spikes," Epstein quipped.

Jody was getting used to the jokes. He didn't mind them if his colleagues were willing to put forth effort and the project was moving along smoothly. "Okay, Reggie hits the three home runs against Brooklyn in a Subway series last year," Jody said. "Brooklyn has to win sometime; we'll give them their 1960s wins and maybe a couple more in the '40s and '50s. Maybe if they have Jackie early they win that '46 pennant and a Brooklyn player's mad dash home wins it."

Cissy like that idea. "Jackie Robinson might be too obvious, though."

Jody concurred. "Yeah, like it was Enos Slaughter and not Stan Musial making that dash for home in real life." He ignored Epstein's enjoyment of a player with the last name of "Slaughter" – Epstein's comments were still too rough for him. He concluded his thoughts by saying, "That sweep of the Yankees in '63 needs to stay, for instance."

Buffy scratched her head. "But, if the Giants move to Minnesota, where does Washington go?"

"To the refrigerator for a snack," Washington joked as he rose.

"Why not keep the Giants here, too?" Jody wanted to know.

"Who says you have to make sense; it's a story," Epstein countered.

"It's called poetic license. It's kind of like a driver's license," Horsack said, setting them up for the punch line. "You get one after you learn to rhyme."

From the kitchen, Washing said, "Yeah, 'Rhymer's Ed' would be an easy class to take." He returned as he spoke in an exaggerated sophisticated voice for the first three lines of his poem, before delivering his last in a laughing, pinch-line tone. 'I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree. Mostly because of who I be; a dog that really has to pee." The Sweathogs all cracked up laughing, the others simply shook their heads.

"Too many like that," the very proper butler spouted, "and I hope it would be possible to have one's poetic license revoked."

"You're probably just upset because you spent so long trying to help them memorize the real thing," Epstein said.

"Yeah, what's the difference between that and 'Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg'?" Barbarino inquired as Washington sat back down with a bag of chips, which were passed around. Mr. French ran to get plates and napkins for all of them once he spoke.

"Mostly the idea that you're joking about bodily functions," French said with distaste. "Such things simply aren't done."

"It's so sophomoric," Buffy agreed.

Horshack nodded slowly. "So what are some good Junior and Senior jokes?"

Jody turned to Cissy. "I can see what you mean about them not having the fine things we do because of their environment, but that doesn't mean they have to be joking about…" He thought for a moment. He supposed Epstein's quips about Enos Slaughter being a perfect name for a gang member still frustrated him. And, that joke was pretty tame compared to some he'd hears. "Well, I guess it's not as bad as some stuff." Even more slowly, he added, "And, some of the grossest jokes come from our school, too," he recognized.

"See, that's just it; that stuff's more their environment. The key is to be a good role model and try to rub off on people. It's hard when you have a group of them against only one, but with smaller group sizes you can have some influence. Like I was telling Buffy about how they look at girls only for what they can get. That's something that has to be stopped at home," Cissy explained. "They need role models who will stand up against that type of attitude they had toward you this past Monday, and teach the right way to treat girls instead."

Jody slowly came around to accepting this. "The way we look at the world is pretty different. I just want you to be able to appreciate it."

"You know what I think the problem is? You rich people take yourselves too seriously sometimes," Washington suggested. "Like that butler of yours; everything's just so proper with him. First thing he did when I got these chips was grab plates and napkins for us, even though we're all eating out of the bag." He admitted that, "He's right. We do need napkins, But, he doesn't know how to let loose and have fun."

"Actually, he's learned pretty well, given how he was when we first moved in," Cissy said.

Jody accepted that, "There probably are times when we seem too serious. But, keeping your feet on the ground and being careful with expensive things isn't being serious – it's just being respectful and taking care of things."

"You probably figure everything just comes easy for us," Cissy told the Brooklynites. "Stuff we have still costs money, though. We can't just get a replacement anytime we want. We have money problems too, sometimes. We really would if we had to replace something all the time."

Barbarino was stunned. "Wow. I never thought I'd hear a rich person say they had money problems."

Washington agreed. "It's not like you'd be in the poor house right away. But, I guess if you didn't save; or somethin' happened like that crash in '29…" he trailed off.

"Come on, Freddie; do you really think rich kids went from havin' a butler to stealin' hubcaps to put food on the table back then?" Epstain asked.

"I think the point is, we're still people like you," Jody said. "Yeah, our lives are different, but, we have some similar interests, too. Like we have to get started on this assignment."

"Sure; I know from what you said basketball's your favorite sport, Freddie, but you know some baseball anyway, right?" Buffy asked. He nodded.

Jody added, "You guys had fun doing what little research you did, too. Throughout American history, the one constant has been baseball. Maybe not everyone follows it closely like I do, but it can still mean something to each of us." He chuckled. "Even if it's a kid identifying with Charlie Brown, or a Sweathog identifying with Babe Herman."

"Yeah, you're right. What's our plot?" Washington asked.

The high school kids jotted notes as they went over various ideas - a pennant race versus a single game, for instance - and whether it would take place in Manhattan or Brooklyn. It was decided that – since there was uncertainty about whether the Giants could have stayed – O'Malley Stadium in Brooklyn, which would look much like Dodger Stadium, but look out over the river, would be the site.

"Okay," Buffy said after a while. "So far we know it's a 20-inning game between Brooklyn and the Giants taking place in early April this year; Jody's and my characters are ambivalent about being Dodger fans since the Giants left twenty years ago." She smiled at Jody. "Sorry, Jody; you were outvoted. The Giants moving increases the man-versus-self conflict, since we don't want to be Dodger fans but also can't stand the Yankees."

"That's okay. My Heavenly mansion's just going to have to have a back yard that includes a replica of the Polo Grounds." He smiled at the visitors. "You guys are welcome to come anytime to play catch. I'm sorry I've been kind of testy and judgmental."

"It's okay, man. We're all still growin'. We'll always struggle a little," Washington said. "

"I've heard it said there's a God-sized hole in each of our hearts only jesus can fill," Cissy said. "My field teaches me to look as how and why people develop like they do so I can help them. But, it seems like we all need that basic forgiveness and mercy for our sins. And, we don't do too good of a job showing that acceptance to others."

Jody agreed. "I guess you guys were right in a way, but it's not being serious that's our problem; it's relying on our riches."

Buffy agreed. "Sure; just like I relied on somehow keeping myself little so I didn't have to think about growing up without our parents. Instead of just relying on God to give me strength to get through; and, I needed a lot of it. Of course, we need His forgiveness for our sins first, before He can help us through anything, through what He did for us on the cross, when Jesus Christ, God in flesh, died to take our punishment for our sin, and then rose from the dead."

"Yeah; it's a good thing He makes it simple by just having to trust that he took the whole punishment for our sin and calling on Him by faith to save and make us new inside," Washingtons aid. "Because we sure aren't going to do it on our own."

"You do a good job, though," Jody said. "Some of that stuff I was saying, well, it doesn't really matter int eh big picture. Although it's still important, it's better to talk with each toher so we can have an understanding of how each other think, like Cissy was saying."

Washington concurred. "That's one of the fun things about building these characters is having them talk like this" He suddenly recognized something. "We've gotta say something about how this might change the rest of the country too."

"Good idea. Any thoughts?" Jody asked.

Horshack raised his hand. "Oh, oh. "Lincoln was the best President; could he do something?"

Jody thought for a moment. "I don't see why not. He did get more supportive of at least some rights as the war went on."

"Let's keep this mostly baseball, though. I don't care enough about history that far back. Or even last week," Barbarino said. "Besides, we gotta find a way to include stories about that Herman guy." Several others in both groups agreed.

A year and a half later, Jody, Buffy, Cissy, and their uncle were in Cooperstown, New York Hall of Fame induction weekend, along with their guests the Sweathogs and Mr. Kotter. "Hey, this has been amazing," Washington said. "And, I mean that literally," he said, indicating a pun on the name of Willie Mays, whom they'd just seen enshrined.

"Yeah, thanks; although I wish we'd gotten to see that Babe Herman guy," barbarino said.

Jody agreed. "It would have been fun; but, at least you guys got a letter from him when you wrote him last year."

Buffy added that, "Next year Duke Snider's a shoo-in, too, he was so close this time."

"Yeah, we might tell Mr. Kotter about it, but it's not really our generation, you know," Epstein pointed out. "But you know, them voters back then must have liked that kinda player, 'cause he got a handful of votes even though he wasn't near the quality player these guys are."

"I think the ones who get votes like that, it's because some reporter liked them, and they treated them nice, so it's a little reward from that one voter," Mr. Kotter said. He looked to his left. "Oh, look who it is; I'll be right back!" He sped away while pulling out a pen and paper.

"That's fun; he's actin' like a kid in a candy store," Washington said of their teacher.

Horshack agreed. "At least here, the Brooklyn Dodgers live on." He turned to his new wife, Mary. ""Let's name our first kid Pee Wee."

"Whoa, wait; you gotta have a tough name growin' up in Brooklyn. I say give 'im the name 'Duke,'" Epstein suggested.

"Yeah, but what if it's a girl," Washington said. "Callin' a girl 'Duke' would be…" He shrugged. "Of course, there are lady Dukes, but what are they? Dukette?"

"You mean you're pregnant yet?" Barbarino got excited for a minute. "Oh, boy, I'm gonna be an uncle! Well, sort of."

Hoshack laughed. "Don't be silly, Vinnie; we need money first."

When Cissy said she would have known because women could tell those things, Jody said, "That's a difference I still can't totally figure out; how we think versus how you women think."

Uncle Bill and the others were used to the Sweathogs' humor after a few days with them. "It's hard for any guy to figure out. Anyway, it's actually a Duchess," Bill said.

"Duchess? So they all come from Holland?" Epstein cracked.

Later that day, Mr. Kotter and the others gathered near Doubleday Field. Jody pulled out a copy of the paper they'd worked on together. "I read it; it sounds like you really had a lot of fun," Kotter said. "And I knew you guys could do it. I have to admit I had some doubts, but you actually got Babe Herman to send four autographed pictures."

"Well, we did dress Arnold in a Buchanan High baseball uniform," Washington acknowledged.

Buffy smirked. Now studying education like Washington, they'd at least spoken a few times as fellow students, though at different schools, to discuss education. "Arnold, you don't really look like the athletic type."

"I must be; I have athlete's foot to prove it," Horshack said with a laugh.

"Yeah, that joke might have helped sell us, you know. But, making Horshack out to be a baseball player isn't as bad as the time we pretended to be on the golf team and snuck over to the local course," Epstein said.

Barbarino chuckled. "By the time we got through our first two holes we'd had to let nine other groups play through and we had the club pro in tears."

"He said he'd donate money to Buchanan if we gave up golf," Horshack said.

Bill smiled. "Now, see, that's the kind of innocent joke we don't mind."

Jody agreed. "It sounds like fun. So, did he give your school the money?"

"Nah; we couldn't let him." Washington elaborated, "If he had, he'd have learned we already didn't have a golf team."

Buffy thought there was another punch line coming. "I thought someone told the club pro you guys didn't have a competitive team, and then the pro said, 'I know, I've seen them play.'" When the others laughed, she was very pleased. "I feel comfortable around you guys now."

"Yeah, we were used to havin' girls that were friends, without the two words going together," Washington pointed out.

"I have to wonder, though, going back to that prank, would you have been sneaking in to see the Dodgers if they were still in Brooklyn?" Mr. French asked.

Washington shook his head. "Nah; we'd get summer jobs as vendors. And eat what didn't sell."

"I could have been a good batboy," Horschack noted.

Barbarino, still the leader of the clan, still like to tease Arnold some. "Nah, they'd make me be Batboy; you'd hve to settle for Robin," he said.

Epstein pointed out, "Those guys would have been old timers int hat band; maybe we could have hve formed out own Sym-Phony Band."

Cissy agreed. "So what if the only thing you can play is the radio; that was true of them, too."

"Yeah, but your excuse notes wouldn't go over too well working for a class team like the Dodgers," Joy pointed out.

"Oh, I wouldn't use those myself; I'd give 'em to the players for when they argue with the umpires."

"So, Vinnie," Buffy kidded him, "does that mean you'd teach players how to go 'what' 'where' to the umpires so if they got called out they could just do that till the umpire got tired and let them be safe instead?"

"Hey, really are startin' to understand us," Barbarino admitted.

"It's wonderful to see how you groups have come together," Bill remarked.

"It is." Jody cleared his throat and began to read. "'Two groups of teens; one from Manhattan, one from Brooklyn, gathered in spacious O'Malley Stadium, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers, in the opening game of the 1978 baseball season for the home town Dodgers and Giants.'"

Epstein took it and began to read next. "'They were united by a common thread, one that runs through all ethnic backgrounds, all wealth and class backgrounds, indeed, all of American history.'" As he handed the paper to Buffy, he said, "I didn't know we were writing poetry when we started this. I mean, sure, it doesn't rhyme, but still, it's so flowery."

"'This is a story that reminds one of all that once was good, and that could be again,'" came the next line.

As she read, and they continued to pass around the story they'd written, Jody considered the amazing work that had been forged by the game.

Of course, those who had trusted Christ as their Savior could feel the bond of friendship growing as they grew in their love of God and the peace he gave them, and thus grew in understanding of grace and forgiveness and love of others. God had made each new creatures on the inside when they trusted Him to save them from their sins by simple grace alone in faith alone in Christ aloe. And, that meant that God had guided them to do so to show His love and kindness so others might see it and want to be forgiven, too, for their sins and to feel the peace He could bring.

However, there was something about standing in front of that old field that seemed to take them back in time, and engross them in that common thread of baseball. It had been a great tool to bring the groups together, just Mr. Kotter had mentioned of Ebbets Field.

Once they finished, Mr. Kotter complimented them. "You really did a fabulous job. I appreciated the cameo, too."

"Hey, did you see your butler even got in there?" Barbarino teased, faking a stuffy British accent with the quote. "He's the umpire who they say caught a pitcher scuffing the ball last year and acted all pompous saying, 'Such things are never to be done. Out, I say, and cast your lot with the rabble this day.'"

French was willing to admit, "I must say, that line was, quite clever. I can see myself saying that as an umpire, in fact."

"That's wonderful; it's great to see you kids learn to have fun together," Bill said.

"Our old teams might be gone, and we're stuck with the Mets here," Jody lamented. His voice brightened as he continued. "But, the wonderful thing is, we can still be friends and enjoy it." The others agreed.

Note: The lines are quite similar to the start of Ken Burns' baseball miniseries, originally from "Field of Dreams." Still, it's possible, as a worker for ESPN early in his career according to the end of "We'll Have Forever," that he has a small part in some of the lines in this universe, as a baseball writer. Whether I would write "If Baseball Integrated Early" or the others in my profile in this universe is up for debate, but it would be a lot of fun to see something else.

While Washington likely still plays basketball, and there might not be many references to them in a "Kotter" where the Dodgers stay, it could be fun to see how the Sweathogs would have grown up in a world where the Dodgers stayed. Would some be Dodger fanatics, would one be in the Sym-Phony band, etc.. That is a story I don't have time or interest in writing except for the little snippets of conversation I use. Someone else is very welcome and encouraged to try.


End file.
